One commenter to my last post simply said - anonymously, of course - that we should stay home because that would be more room for "the rest of us".
Originally, this post took the commenter to task for what is obviously a complete lack of ethics - discrimination is discrimination, and if a person supports it, that says all we need to know about the person.
But then another HotKarz reader posted a comment reminding me of the family values we like to pursue at HotKarz, so I have edited this post considerably - it does no one any good for us to lower ourselves to the depths that some people sink to. And I apologize for losing my cool over a comment by a person so lacking in normal human kindness and concern for others. And I thank that other reader for bringing me back from the anger that it brought out.
But to that anonymous commenter, at least have the courage of your convictions to sign your comments. If you are afraid to own them and take responsibility for them, don't post them. Yes, folks may post anonymously - but if you are going to post something that is wrong, hurtful or ethically barren, you have an obligation to take ownership of it. If your anonymity is because you are ashamed of what you are saying, either don't say it, or sign it.
/
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Some Things Are Just Plain Wrong
Bear with me if you will - this article really is about car stuff. It is about discrimination and betrayal.
We were passing through Bessemer, Alabama in 1962, my dad, kid brother and myself, on a road trip that Dad hoped would help us cope with my mother's death. We stopped in a diner for lunch. And being a northerner, I was shocked when a colored man came in and was told he was not allowed in the place simply because he was black.
I was just a kid, but I knew that was wrong - VERY wrong. It is almost always wrong to discriminate, and be exclusionary. That says that some people are better, or more worthy, than others. Superior.
Some folks, even today, think it is OK to discriminate against others. Thankfully, they are in the minority these days.
So you know I was not only shocked, but angered, when we drove over to Blast from The Past in Waterboro for the weekly Friday cruise-in, as we have been doing ever since they started having cruise-ins years ago, and we were told that they were no longer allowing any "new" cars into their cruise. They turned us away, because they were discriminating against newer vehicles, as if somehow they are not as worthy as others. Somehow, having a customized NEW vehicle meant our money was no good in their diner. We had become second-class citizens - at least to the people who own Blast.
We have been sharing Friday nights with our car friends for years. Suddenly, we are no longer allowed to join our friends at Blast From The Past.
I found this revolting, to say the least. And I feel betrayed. We, and HotKarz, have been supportive of Blast for years. We have promoted, supported and dined there. They have ACTIVELY solicited promotion from us. And now they turn their backs on us just because our car does not suit their "standards".
We feel like that colored man in that diner in Bessemer in 1962.
Pardon me for saying so, but I cannot - will not - support any business that refuses to return the favor because of their prejudice. No longer will Blast From The Past get any more business, support or promotion from my family, or from HotKarz. And it is not out of vindictiveness - it is simply because what they are doing is just, plain wrong! And I try not to stand on the wrong side of any issue if I can help it. As far as I am concerned, discriminating against me because of my car is no different from discriminating against a person because of their skin color, or the church they go to, or their sex.
Imagine if they suddenly said "You cannot join your friends because your car is blue". Or because you have a Ford. Or because it is owned by a woman. If YOU were the one being excluded and discriminated against, how would you feel, particularly if you had been supporting and promoting them for years, providing free advertising, and suddenly you are no longer welcome?
Yes, I am angry. I have every right to be. And if Blast, or any other cruise location is going to exclude certain kinds of vehicles, they have an obligation to make that known BEFORE folks show up at their doorstep. When we received the cruise info from Blast, to post on HotKarz, there was no mention that certain vehicles would be banned.
I realize that the folks who are fortunate enough to have the "right kind" of vehicles will still patronize Blast, and that is too bad, because in doing so, those folks are telling Blast that it is OK to discriminate, and to exclude certain groups. And that is never OK. Because next time, it might be you.
One commenter, below, says we could have parked elsewhere. That is NOT the issue. The issue is simple and clear - we were told, FLAT OUT, that newer cars like ours are NOT welcome to join in the cruise-in. The fact that they want us to still spend our money even after being turned away from the cruise is just as wrong as the discrimination. If we are not good enough to participate in the cruise, then we are not good enough to come in and spend our money! Yes, we left. We left because we will NOT patronize any business that treats us like second-class citizens - "back of the bus" people.
/
We were passing through Bessemer, Alabama in 1962, my dad, kid brother and myself, on a road trip that Dad hoped would help us cope with my mother's death. We stopped in a diner for lunch. And being a northerner, I was shocked when a colored man came in and was told he was not allowed in the place simply because he was black.
I was just a kid, but I knew that was wrong - VERY wrong. It is almost always wrong to discriminate, and be exclusionary. That says that some people are better, or more worthy, than others. Superior.
Some folks, even today, think it is OK to discriminate against others. Thankfully, they are in the minority these days.
So you know I was not only shocked, but angered, when we drove over to Blast from The Past in Waterboro for the weekly Friday cruise-in, as we have been doing ever since they started having cruise-ins years ago, and we were told that they were no longer allowing any "new" cars into their cruise. They turned us away, because they were discriminating against newer vehicles, as if somehow they are not as worthy as others. Somehow, having a customized NEW vehicle meant our money was no good in their diner. We had become second-class citizens - at least to the people who own Blast.
We have been sharing Friday nights with our car friends for years. Suddenly, we are no longer allowed to join our friends at Blast From The Past.
I found this revolting, to say the least. And I feel betrayed. We, and HotKarz, have been supportive of Blast for years. We have promoted, supported and dined there. They have ACTIVELY solicited promotion from us. And now they turn their backs on us just because our car does not suit their "standards".
We feel like that colored man in that diner in Bessemer in 1962.
Pardon me for saying so, but I cannot - will not - support any business that refuses to return the favor because of their prejudice. No longer will Blast From The Past get any more business, support or promotion from my family, or from HotKarz. And it is not out of vindictiveness - it is simply because what they are doing is just, plain wrong! And I try not to stand on the wrong side of any issue if I can help it. As far as I am concerned, discriminating against me because of my car is no different from discriminating against a person because of their skin color, or the church they go to, or their sex.
Imagine if they suddenly said "You cannot join your friends because your car is blue". Or because you have a Ford. Or because it is owned by a woman. If YOU were the one being excluded and discriminated against, how would you feel, particularly if you had been supporting and promoting them for years, providing free advertising, and suddenly you are no longer welcome?
Yes, I am angry. I have every right to be. And if Blast, or any other cruise location is going to exclude certain kinds of vehicles, they have an obligation to make that known BEFORE folks show up at their doorstep. When we received the cruise info from Blast, to post on HotKarz, there was no mention that certain vehicles would be banned.
I realize that the folks who are fortunate enough to have the "right kind" of vehicles will still patronize Blast, and that is too bad, because in doing so, those folks are telling Blast that it is OK to discriminate, and to exclude certain groups. And that is never OK. Because next time, it might be you.
One commenter, below, says we could have parked elsewhere. That is NOT the issue. The issue is simple and clear - we were told, FLAT OUT, that newer cars like ours are NOT welcome to join in the cruise-in. The fact that they want us to still spend our money even after being turned away from the cruise is just as wrong as the discrimination. If we are not good enough to participate in the cruise, then we are not good enough to come in and spend our money! Yes, we left. We left because we will NOT patronize any business that treats us like second-class citizens - "back of the bus" people.
/
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Br-r-r
Side note: It is July 9th - summertime, according to the calendar. I just stepped onto my deck for a breath of fresh air, and could see my breath! I have never seen such cold summers as these last two, and I have seen 61 summers.
Why on Earth do they want to spend trillions to fight Global Warming?
/
Why on Earth do they want to spend trillions to fight Global Warming?
/
Getting Good Write-Ups
Someone sent an email today, complaining we have not mentioned the Kora Show on Sunday, and claiming it is because there is a better chance to win a trophy at Ossipee.
The letter set me off.
First, I mentioned the Kora show at Twitchell on Monday's blog, so the writer was wrong on that count. And trophies do not mean much to me - though we like winning - everyone does - it's not that important. What IS important is that people win or lose FAIRLY. We have won over 150 trophies in the last 4-5 years, and they are all sitting out in the shed collecting dust. Because they are not important. So, I took exception to the writer's insinuation, and the writer was wrong on that count, as well.
But I do understand that the writer was concerned that I did not give Kora the big write-up I give to some other shows. I told her a show has to EARN that kind of write-up.
So, for those of you who missed it two years ago in my blog, or have forgotten, I would like to take a moment to recap:
Two years ago we attended the Kora show. It was big, to be sure. The cruise was great. But we had serious issues with the complete lack of honesty and integrity.
First, they let anyone register in almost any class, and that caused a great deal of anger among some participants who were suddenly faced with very unfair competition. For example, a brand new Chevy Truck and a Corvette in Special Interest, even though there were truck and Corvette classes - I believe there were 3 Corvette classes!
But the absolute worst part was when two judges were judging our daughter's car, and stated straight out that "This car could never win here, because it has New Hampshire plates." Our daughter, sitting there, overheard it, as did several other people, and it really broke her heart and made her cry.
NOTE: If you make my daughter cry, you earn my ire. No exceptions!
Now, we do not mind losing. But we certainly DO mind bigotry, prejudice and such pure arrogance. We DO mind being treated unfairly.
At the award ceremony, it was so obvious that the "locals" were taking home most of the trophies, so the prejudice apparently is not limited to out-of-staters.
And that is why 1) we no longer attend the Kora show, and 2) I don't give it a big write-up. If the Shriners would like a better write-up, or stronger promotion, they are going to have to drop the dishonesty and instill a little integrity into their show. Until then, I have little interest in assisting them in their obvious rigging of their show.
Yes, I know they support a good cause. But that does not justify the actions they take, and does not give enough reason for me to support THEM. Don Corleon (The Godfather) supported good causes, too, but I would never support him.
So, for those of you who like going to Kora, that's fine. But don't jump on me because I don't. When I attend a show, it is not because of the "cause" it supports. I go to have a good time with friends. And it is difficult to have a good time when the show organizers flat out tell you that you are not welcome because you have NH plates. It is hard to enjoy yourself when you know you are being cheated by obvious class-jumping that borders on the absurd.
And one more thing - Kora did not have any place to get a cup of coffee in the morning! And that is almost as unforgivable as making my daughter cry.
Someone comments below that they would like to "hear the other side of the story" i.e. the judges at Kora saying a NH vehicle would never win. Frankly, that is an assinine comment, since that IS the story, and several people heard it - there are no "sides" to it. They said what they said. Furthermore, the EMT that was there, who was a shriner, told us the same thing to our faces during the award ceremony - he was not being facetious - he was just trying to let us know the mentality of the judges. Now, judging from how the commenter spent so much time and effort slamming the Ossipee show (I would like to hear "the other side" of THAT story), I get the impression he or she is simply a big fan of the Kora show, or is a Kora Shriner. That's fine. Just don't expect me to share your enthusiasm for the Kora show.
/
The letter set me off.
First, I mentioned the Kora show at Twitchell on Monday's blog, so the writer was wrong on that count. And trophies do not mean much to me - though we like winning - everyone does - it's not that important. What IS important is that people win or lose FAIRLY. We have won over 150 trophies in the last 4-5 years, and they are all sitting out in the shed collecting dust. Because they are not important. So, I took exception to the writer's insinuation, and the writer was wrong on that count, as well.
But I do understand that the writer was concerned that I did not give Kora the big write-up I give to some other shows. I told her a show has to EARN that kind of write-up.
So, for those of you who missed it two years ago in my blog, or have forgotten, I would like to take a moment to recap:
Two years ago we attended the Kora show. It was big, to be sure. The cruise was great. But we had serious issues with the complete lack of honesty and integrity.
First, they let anyone register in almost any class, and that caused a great deal of anger among some participants who were suddenly faced with very unfair competition. For example, a brand new Chevy Truck and a Corvette in Special Interest, even though there were truck and Corvette classes - I believe there were 3 Corvette classes!
But the absolute worst part was when two judges were judging our daughter's car, and stated straight out that "This car could never win here, because it has New Hampshire plates." Our daughter, sitting there, overheard it, as did several other people, and it really broke her heart and made her cry.
NOTE: If you make my daughter cry, you earn my ire. No exceptions!
Now, we do not mind losing. But we certainly DO mind bigotry, prejudice and such pure arrogance. We DO mind being treated unfairly.
At the award ceremony, it was so obvious that the "locals" were taking home most of the trophies, so the prejudice apparently is not limited to out-of-staters.
And that is why 1) we no longer attend the Kora show, and 2) I don't give it a big write-up. If the Shriners would like a better write-up, or stronger promotion, they are going to have to drop the dishonesty and instill a little integrity into their show. Until then, I have little interest in assisting them in their obvious rigging of their show.
Yes, I know they support a good cause. But that does not justify the actions they take, and does not give enough reason for me to support THEM. Don Corleon (The Godfather) supported good causes, too, but I would never support him.
So, for those of you who like going to Kora, that's fine. But don't jump on me because I don't. When I attend a show, it is not because of the "cause" it supports. I go to have a good time with friends. And it is difficult to have a good time when the show organizers flat out tell you that you are not welcome because you have NH plates. It is hard to enjoy yourself when you know you are being cheated by obvious class-jumping that borders on the absurd.
And one more thing - Kora did not have any place to get a cup of coffee in the morning! And that is almost as unforgivable as making my daughter cry.
Someone comments below that they would like to "hear the other side of the story" i.e. the judges at Kora saying a NH vehicle would never win. Frankly, that is an assinine comment, since that IS the story, and several people heard it - there are no "sides" to it. They said what they said. Furthermore, the EMT that was there, who was a shriner, told us the same thing to our faces during the award ceremony - he was not being facetious - he was just trying to let us know the mentality of the judges. Now, judging from how the commenter spent so much time and effort slamming the Ossipee show (I would like to hear "the other side" of THAT story), I get the impression he or she is simply a big fan of the Kora show, or is a Kora Shriner. That's fine. Just don't expect me to share your enthusiasm for the Kora show.
/
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Woolwich Invitational
Received the following letter from Connie Peacock, along with a few pix of the Woolwich Invitational, now posted in our gallery:
"Hey Bill, Just wanted to send some pictures of the Woolwich Invitational Sunday. What a gorgeous day. There were about 50 to 60 vehicles entered. They had 2 live bands, some recorded music and the Bag Piper. All was very good entertainment.
"The oldest car entered was the 1919 GMC Model 16 Bissons Delivery Truck. The thing was really something. My pictures did not do it justice. The car that was in the movie "Man Without a Face" was there. The gent that owned it came over and spoke with me for a few minutes. He told me they spent 4 days with him. It was the first car in the movie. I asked if he (Mel Gibson) was as crazy in person as he is in the movies and he replied " Yep he is,just don't get him mad." I said "I thought so' and we chuckled.
"Anyway the Moals put on a very well organized show. Members where constantly patroling the areas, so the participants could enjoy the day and relax. There were people at the gate passing out "Code of Conduct" cards - no matter how old, they got one.There was 1 bake goods table and I had to have a scone. I told the gals that I had not had these since my Grandma and Aunt made them when I was a girl. And It was REALLY GOOD. I almost wanted another but I had to be good. LOL.
"The Snack Shack had burgers and dogs with chips and drinks. They also had breakfast sandwiches. It was very good food. "
Sounds like a good place to have been on Sunday!
/
"Hey Bill, Just wanted to send some pictures of the Woolwich Invitational Sunday. What a gorgeous day. There were about 50 to 60 vehicles entered. They had 2 live bands, some recorded music and the Bag Piper. All was very good entertainment.
"The oldest car entered was the 1919 GMC Model 16 Bissons Delivery Truck. The thing was really something. My pictures did not do it justice. The car that was in the movie "Man Without a Face" was there. The gent that owned it came over and spoke with me for a few minutes. He told me they spent 4 days with him. It was the first car in the movie. I asked if he (Mel Gibson) was as crazy in person as he is in the movies and he replied " Yep he is,just don't get him mad." I said "I thought so' and we chuckled.
"Anyway the Moals put on a very well organized show. Members where constantly patroling the areas, so the participants could enjoy the day and relax. There were people at the gate passing out "Code of Conduct" cards - no matter how old, they got one.There was 1 bake goods table and I had to have a scone. I told the gals that I had not had these since my Grandma and Aunt made them when I was a girl. And It was REALLY GOOD. I almost wanted another but I had to be good. LOL.
"The Snack Shack had burgers and dogs with chips and drinks. They also had breakfast sandwiches. It was very good food. "
Sounds like a good place to have been on Sunday!
/
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Ossipee Valley Update
Just received this response to my query about the Ossipee Valley Fair Car Show this Sunday:
"Greetings Bill!
Thanks for your interest in Ossipee Valley Fair!
Our annual car and truck show is scheduled for 7/12/09. Entry info and contact #s at:
http://www.ossipeevalleyfair.com/2009WebRulesForms/2009Car.pdf
Paul Hopkins for the Ossipee Valley Agricultural Society
Ossipee Valley Fair – July 9 -12, 2009 – South Hiram, ME
www.ossipeevalleyfair.com"
So, it's a "GO".
/
"Greetings Bill!
Thanks for your interest in Ossipee Valley Fair!
Our annual car and truck show is scheduled for 7/12/09. Entry info and contact #s at:
http://www.ossipeevalleyfair.com/2009WebRulesForms/2009Car.pdf
Paul Hopkins for the Ossipee Valley Agricultural Society
Ossipee Valley Fair – July 9 -12, 2009 – South Hiram, ME
www.ossipeevalleyfair.com"
So, it's a "GO".
/
Ossipee Valley Fair Car Show
While I do not have much info, and have not heard from them, the Ossipee Valley Fair Car Show in South Hiram is scheduled this Sunday, July 12, from 8am-2pm, according to their website. However, the grapevine suggests it may have been canceled. The agricultural society is difficult to contact (no phone), but I have emailed in an attempt to get updated on the schedule. I'll let you know if they get back to me.
This little fair has always proven to be fun, with lots of vehicles, so if you have nothing else to do on Sunday, and assuming it's on, you may want to be there. Of course, the Kora show at Twitchell is also on Sunday, but I prefer the Ossipee Valley show, if it's on - more to do, better food, some shade and only 9 miles from home.
And the weather will be FINE.
/
This little fair has always proven to be fun, with lots of vehicles, so if you have nothing else to do on Sunday, and assuming it's on, you may want to be there. Of course, the Kora show at Twitchell is also on Sunday, but I prefer the Ossipee Valley show, if it's on - more to do, better food, some shade and only 9 miles from home.
And the weather will be FINE.
/
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